I would do almost anything for my “baby” sister. I say “almost” as a qualifier because I try not to use words like, “always,” “never,” “anything,” “everything.” Trust me, try to construct a sentence that doesn’t contain any of those words that don’t involve exaggeration and drama (especially, never.) I equivocate by adding words like “almost” or “hardly” (as in, “I hardly ever do…whatever it is that I hardly ever do…)

So while I say I would do almost anything for my sister, I mean that there are things I haven’t thought of that I would be willing to at least try to do for her, to help her in any way I possibly can. In my head I hear the line from that song, “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that.” There are probably things I would draw the line about and say, “but I won’t do that,” for Roo, but in this moment I can’t think of what she might ask of me that I wouldn’t do, give, etc.

Of course, here’s the other thing: she rarely asks anything of me or probably anyone else for that matter. She’s one of those giving people who provides, does for everyone around her and rarely asks for and hardly ever expects reciprocation (notice the “hardly” there…) That’s not why she does things. The Bible says, essentially, to give, not looking to receive (So does the Qu’ran for that matter) and to do so quietly and in secret, without looking for anything in return.

For people like Roo, giving is not simply what they do, it is woven into who they are. It is beyond consciously, it is their nature. I am blessed to have five siblings, each of whom has wonderful qualities, some of which I try to emulate. They are things I try to do in the hope that at some point I might be those things. Roo is a giver. One of the things I’m coming to understand is that during these 30 days, the observance is not simply about fasting, but in giving to others, particularly those who are less fortunate than we might be. I am grateful to have an example in Roo. And so, yeah, I would do (almost) anything for her, and I have yet to hit the “but I won’t do that.” I probably never (whoops) will. And so it is.